Paul Prudhomme changed his recipes over a decade ago, and I tried watching his revised show, but he took it to an extreme that I thought was unnecessary. However, he is a good comparison and is what I thought of first. I have fond associations with Southern accents - it reminds me of some of my roommates at Rice. I no longer live in "Y'all" country, and I never used that word much even when I did, but I do not find it nearly as annoying as when people say, "What I'm going to do next is I'm going to..." instead of saying "Next I'm going to..." Or when people say "actually" twice or more in one sentence. There was a woman on the Steven and Chris Show that did that last week, and I had the change the channel because of her. Another word (not a real word) that annoys me no end is "vinegar-ette". It seems that chefs are deliberately taught improper English, and I think they should be made to take speech classes (or get speech therapy) like the class I had to take for my Interior Design degree. I do like Paula Deen, but I revise her recipes when I make them. I think her cheesecake recipe is fine as is, but I would not make it very often. I find it endearing that Paula calls her son "Son". To me, it shows motherly love. It's better than using "DS" on a forum, as "DS" can mean "son" or "sister", and it always gets me confused. Giving children numbers is even worse since pseudonymns are always an option. I had an uncle who had pseudonymns for everyone, but then he was rich, eccentric, and childless and could get away with it. Annie, I love the olive wood Paula Deen spoons you sent me!!! Larry the Cable Guy has made a career using a fake southern accent - he was born in Nebraska and has a midwestern accent in his normal voice. I wish Paula the best and hope she will be able to get this under control. Lars

Lady fingers I had as a young'un were from homeown Electric Maid bakery. Everything from there was delicious. Our Sunday butterflake rolls always came from there. And her lady fingers were so light, Fond memories of going there with my mother and sister. First time I ever had elephant ears was from there, and none can compare with Electric Maid's bakery.

Can't help with the original post, other than to say if you use spice cake you may not need any additional spices, or maybe just 1/2 to 1 t. of pumpkin pie spice mix for a true "pumpkin spice" flavor. I will also contribute a really great recipe. If you can't decide between pecan pie or pumpkin pie, this bar recipe is the best of both worlds. -Grainlady PUMPKIN PIE SQUARES Base: 1 c. all-purpose or whole wheat flour (your choice) 1/2 c. brown sugar (can reduce it to 1/4 c. if you'd like) 1/2 c. butter (softened) Mix until crumbly and press into a 13x9x2" baking pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350°F. In a large bowl (or blender) combine: 1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin (puree) 1/2 c. brown sugar 1 can (13.5 oz.) evaporated milk 2 eggs 1 t. cinnamon 1/2 t. ginger 1/4 t. cloves Beat well and pour mixture over baked crust. Bake 20 minutes at 350°F. Topping: In a small bowl combine 3/4 to 1 cup chopped pecans 1/2 c. brown sugar 2 T. butter Sprinkle over pumpkin filling and bake 15-20 minutes more. Cool in pan on rack. Cut into 2" squares. Yield: 2 dozen. Grainlady notes: You can use 2 t. pumpkin pie spice mix for the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. I use coconut palm sugar instead of brown sugar (which lowers the glycemic impact). For a gluten-free version, replace the all-purpose flour with an all-purpose gluten-free flour mixture.

Not a pie recipe but another of Paula's. I saw her yesterday making Hot Cocoa with Robert Irvine and jotted this down quick. I know it was cocoa and sugar and milk on the stove, assumed it was typical Hot Cocoa recipe?? Then in a big glass mug she poured equal parts Coconut Rum and Peach Schnapps, filled the mug with Hot Cocoa and a dollop of whipped cream on top. Lord it looked good!!!!